In a circular to Vice Chancellors of all universities, UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain has instructed that colleges may organise special parades, speeches by ex-servicemen about the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces to mark the day.

Last month, Prakash Javadekar had announced that the NTA would conduct the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, along with the Joint Entrance Examination-Main for admission to engineering colleges, twice a year.

The HRD Ministry's selection of the yet-to-be-established Jio Institute by Reliance Foundation as one of the six "Institutions of Eminence" drew sharp criticism from various quarters, with many questioning the process of selection and the motive behind it.